feuilleté

Definition

A French culinary term for dishes made with delicate layers of puff pastry, because saying 'puff pastry thingy' doesn't justify charging $28 for an appetizer. The word literally means 'leafed' or 'layered,' referring to those impossibly thin, buttery sheets that take hours to make properly. Pronounced 'fuh-yuh-TAY' if you want the waiter to respect you.

Example Usage

The chef's special was a wild mushroom feuilleté that looked like an edible architectural masterpiece and cost more than my electric bill.

Source: French culinary terminology via Free Dictionary API

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caramel

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